Clutch.



L1. CAMPBELL.

` mumfr.` 'APPLlcAulori mgb APR. 2,4. 19u.

1,"245,315. l Pdnmov. 6,'1917.

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L. i. CAMPBELL.

LucH. BPPLICATlON HLEU APR. 24,1914.

mente@ Nw. 1917.V

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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LEON JAY CAMPBELL,

PATENT OFFICE.

0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLUTCH.

Application filed. April 24,

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON JAY lAi'irBELL, a citizen of,the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of'lllinois, have invented certain nevv and useful Improvements in Clutches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying` drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

i a transmission gearing construction embody- This invention relates to a clutch 1necha nism, and more particularly to that type of such device best adapted to be applied to poweltransmission devices or variable speed gearing mechanisms, of the type shown and described in my prior` Patent No. 1,135,354, granted April 13th, 1915. The present invention relates to the clutch mechanism und Consists in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended-claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Flgure 1 is-a. View 1n horizontal section of ing a clutch mechanism constructed -in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section of the transmission device shown in Fig. 1,; Fig. 3 is anenlarged-detail sectional view of one 1of the rotative members or gear Wheels, the driven shaft and the locking key, the latter being shown in locked position Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the locking key in unlocked position;

Fig. '5 is awview' showing the driven shaft in section and. one of the rocking yokesjin position to hold one of the locking keys in locking position; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing therocking yoke in position to hold the said l ckingkey in unlocked position; and

- VFig. 7 is a fragmentary detail .sectional view of the parts shown in- Fig 3, with the exception that the. abutment plate which com stitutes the locking shoulder lon the rotative member or gear Wheel-,is soarranged tlatits Contact face is in a plane at a greater incli-V nation .to a vertical plane passing through the axes of rotation of the key and shaft than a planepassing through the contactv Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. e, 1917.-

1914. serial No. 334,075.

face of the aloutmen-- plate illustrated in Fig. 3.

Referring to the'drawings, the gear casing 1 is provided with bearings 2 and 3 in which are journaled the drive shaft 4 and the transmission or driven shaft 5. Rigidly secured upon one of saidV shafts, as herein shown the drive shaft 4, is a plurality of drive gears 6,- 7, 8 and 9, which 'de-crease in size in the order named. Loosely mounted uponthe transmission shaft 5 is a plurality of selective or loose gears `or rotative members 1 0, 11, 12 and 1B, which increase in size in the order named. The loosev gears 10, 11 and 12 mesh with thedrive gears 6,7 and 8, respectively, and provide the forward speeds for the transmission shaft.` The loose `gear 13, which is the reverse gearfmeshes with' an idle pinion 14 which is Journaled in a bearing 15 on the casing andimeshes with the'drive gear 9. l

` Each of the rotative members or Vgears 10, 11, 12 and 13 is provided in its bore with a looking recess 16 which extends circumferentially ofthe bore a sufficient distance-to permit the locking-mechanismto act properly, and is provided with flaring or beveled sides 17. At the rear end of each reces, that is the end directed away from the direction of rotation' of thegear, is a steel abutment plate 18 which is adapted to-take the wear,

of the locking mechanism on the gear@ Extending longitudinally of .the shaft' 5 is a pair of key seats 19 and 204 which are circular in crosssection, and in which are the Sludke'ys are.

locking keys 21 and 22. Y rounded on their inner sides complementa-Hy with the keyseats so as to permit them to 'rock freely in their seats,land` have their outer corners cut awayp'as at 23, for the greater portion vof their lengths so that they.

the

versely on its outer face inthesame arc-as the circumference ofl the shaft 5, so-'tha't when the key 'is in release positonfas isV shown in Figs. "4, .and 6, said "portion oi" lug will be flush with .the periphery of the;

shaft, and the'loose gearsv or rptativememf @bers may travel over the samp and rotte to fit transversely of the locking recesses 16 when they arebronght into register with said reeesses,and when in that'v pos" keys may he rocked to turn one edgv'otl'the 111g up into the recess in position to abut against the abutment plate 18,as `shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, thereby locking the gear to the shaft. Theenls 25 of the lateral edges oieorners of the liigs-hre beveled longitudinally ofthe 'key to :bea-r1.;

against the'beveled sides 17 oi the recesses 16, so that when the key is in' loeklng 1`i'fis'i tion, with one edge turned up into the rtoess 1G, longitudinal' nioveii'ient 'o` i""th`e key will Cause the beveled portion of. the -lug t o bear 'against 't-li'egbei'eled portion l17 ot ythe recess, and since the lieieled portion 25 isfo'ilf center on the key, the key will he rocked ba'ek to normal position where it inay be moved longitudinally of the shaft. i"

Foithe piultiose of moving the keys lony gitndii'ially ofthe shaft to bringtheloeking lugs 24 intol and out of looking position with respect to the various loose gears, a gijoored collar 2G is loosely nioiiiited o 1i tlie'sli iift 5 outsidev of `the easing Land the outer ends of the' keys 21 :and 2&2' extend through the col1ar.'f The key 21 is. provided with a boss 27 near its outer 'end and'ii'itlifa yoke 2S at'its Vouter en d and the' key is proi'fided with a boss 27a atitsfou'ter end anda ,y'ok'e '29 near-its outerend.

yokes, with the latter situated on' opposite sides thereof, v so that when ,the collar is on the The Collar 2G mounted on the shaft between the lugs and moved longitudinally. of tli' e "sl1aft it` will" move the'keys therewith. forkedlever is vconnected with the'olla'rQG which is slidably I ,nount'ed onthe' shaft. ']`he leiter isad'aptedto operate the keys by moving 'tfed"on thekeys Ithaithbotl) Cannot be in locking position at the saine ltinie, and so 'Ikeys, fthat is the arm-31 ofeaoh that on the ,keyy '22 will llook the gears 10 and 12ste the shaft and the lug on the kevlwill l1-oek: `theV gears r11 and l3 andQJ arefo; Center on the.

The yokes arm which is o ii'fthe saine side" o thekey as the lfoekingl-,edgefofA the-lng 24,. is nearerthe- ,The vllugs 2.4; 11 re so' yoke, o r the distal-Loef; between the Aarms'fis less .than the diameter of the s 'l ia `ftg5.` .yokes are adapted-to roclnthelkeys 21 and.;22 to bring the lugs 24; intonaci fout of locking position. For 'this piirpose ythe gyokeg..` straddle the shaft, Whichis provided on itssides alon those 4.portions over which the yokes 'trave with plurality 'of '-pp'positely disposed rock the-olie. s 'The colar 2 notches 'and -shoulders `which areladapted to' is of siiiiieientglength tof separate the okes'l'ifa'r enouglapart .so that e notches of the other yoke, .andthe notches are s0 disposed 1 that when one key is in locking position the other will lie out of lorkingpositi'o1i,`and so that there will be airinterral between each two selective gears when neither key will 7o Y-fbe in looking positionand all of the gears will run idle. -To operate' the yoke 29 the shaft 5 is prov'idedin one side with notches 83 and 34 and shoulders and 3G, and in tlie otlier,75

'side lwith notches 3T and 3S and shoulders 3l) and i0; the notches in one side being disposed opposilely to the shoulders (inthe other side. 'looperato the yoke 28. tlie'shaft" is providell in one side with notches il, ifg@ and 113, a nd a 'shoulder 4A, and the' other I side with a notrh 45 and shoulders '46, '4-7 Aand ,ei-S5 'which are' likewise oppositely `disposed, `and the notches -and shoulders fo'i the -oke QS arearranged in the reyersdoi'# 85 der to 'those 'for the yoke '29. The shoulders, with the exreption ot' the slioiilileril,lare 'provided hy the surface oi the shaft adjacent to the not-(flies, while the shoulder 4S provided by a pieve attached to the sid'e ot' i the. sl'ia'lft, and the notch i3, which is opl'io site the shoulder is deeper than the other notches so as to throw the yoke in the reverse direction to look the reverse gear 1 3 tothe shaftfi. The` inner faces of the yoke arins are .rounded or beijeled, and the sides o'f' the lnotclies'are beveled so that when the collar "2G is inored longitudinal] y ot the shaft the yoke airins'will trai-*el easily ont of the 1C;

notches and onto the shoulders and rook the .keysinto and out of 'looking posit-ion. lFor the p'url'iose of securing a quick rooking action of the koys,`espet'ially when the keys are being throwii tolooking position a U-sha .ed s rino' 1S) is carried :in an a iertnre 1 s: in the central portion ot the yoke which eX- tendstransversely ot .he key. Tlie'sjiring is held in the yoke by i'iioz1`iis of a ,srrew 5 0 whiggh is eariiedin the central `portion of 113'v the yoke and lio-arson the spring. Tliefsides oi the lspring lie iii reeessesyin the inner fares of the yoke :ii-nis to points about. dianietrically opposite on the shaft, and` then aIfInS, in such a' position that When'tl'i'e air-1n is: on a sl'i'onlder or rounded port-ion vof the shaft, theeiid of the spring will notbe com `pressed v but Will onrvebeneath-tlie shaft,

and when the arrii is in a notch the' end of 120v the spring will be Compressed by the arm .l against thehottom of' the v 'notch. For thepurpose of preventing the lugs 24;

from causingl the seleetiveggears' toi Wear positionk-washers l'of'hrdmetal are interposedbetweeii the gearsand each is pro,- Videdwith aY not-eh 52 which opensfrom the aperture ifi the washerv and is, adapted to receive alain'. 53011 theshft'which-eauses 'the luso eccentric ,when the hi'gs'are out 'of'loek'ing 125 50 Y sald yoke onto the shoulder 44, thereby romenait washer to rotate with the shaft. Each of 'position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawi which permits the gear to be passed over the pin 53 into position on the shaft,5. y

The operation of the construction shown is as follows: When the parts are in the gigs, the

gear 10 is locked to the shaft 5, and the gears or rotative members 11, 12 and '13 are ning idle. In this position the arm 32fof the yoke 29 is in the notch 33 ofthe shaft 5, and the arm 31 is resting on the shoulder' 39, and the lug 24 of the key 22 is turned into the locked recess of the gear 10. (See Figs. 1, 3 and 5.) rIhe end of the spring 49 adjacent to the arm 32. is compressed against the bottom of the notch 33 and tends to rotate the key back to normal position. The other end of the spring is relaxed, since it is out of contact with the shaft. Alsoin this position the arm 32 of the yoke 28 is on the shoulder 46 and the arm 31 is in the notch 41, and the lug 24 ofthe key 21 is held in release position at a point between the recesses 16 of the gears 12 and 11, but nearer the recess in the gear 12. (See Fig. 1.)

1When the collar 26 is moved away from the gear casing the beveled portion 25 ofthe lug 24 engages the beveled edge of the recess 516 of the gear 10 and tends to rotate the key 22 back to normal or release position, and at the same time the arm 31 of the yoke 29 passes of the shoulder 39 into the notch 37 and the arm 32 of said yoke passes out of the notch 33 Yonto the shoulder 35, thereby assisting in turning the key 22 back to norl mal position and ment compresses the end of the spring 49 against the arm 31 of the yokel29 and relaxes the oppositeend of the spring.` The I'yoke 28 moves simultaneously with the yoke 29, and at the point where the lug 24 of the key 22 hasljust passed out of the locking` recess of'the gear 10, the lug 24 of the key 21 is about to enter the recess of the gear 11, and none of, the gears are locked to the shaft. Further movement Vof the collar 26 in the-same direction "brings the arm 32 of the yoke 28 into the notch 45 and the arm 31 of tatng the key 21 tobi-'ing its. lug 24, to locking position to lockthe gear 11 on theU shaft. Further outward movement of .thel collar causes the key 22;to lock the gear 12 to the shaft. and still further movement causes the arm 32 of the yoke 2 8'to4 travel onto the shoulder 4S and the arm 31 of said yoke to travel into the notch 43, thereby rocking the 'key 21 in the reverse direction to lock the reverse gear 13 to theshaft. When the collar 26 is moved in the opposite direction on the shaft 5 the keys 21 and 22 travel inwardly and lock the gears` in the reverse order.

There is a point between each two adjacent' retraeting the lug 24 into the key seat 20. (See Fig. 6.) This move- 4 'clutch mechanism forming the subject-matter of the present application, attention is particularly invited to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. As shown in said figures, the locking lug 240i each key 21, 22,l is-proL vided with a fiat contact face 24a adapted", when the said lug extends beyond thecircumferential surface of the shaft 5, to engage the shoulder formed by the abutment plate 18. To bringthe lug 24 into the posi.- tionl just referred to, the locking key Ais rotated or rocked 'within its key seat 19.-, 20, as hereinbefore described.. Referring'to said Figs. 3 and 4, the 'abutment plate 11S. is located laterally of a` vertical plane' passing through the axes of potation ofthe shaft 5 and the key 22, `and"substanti4 lyf parallel thereto. The inner face"18a '0 said plate constitutes the contact face thereof. yand is complementary to and adapted for contact' with the face 24a of the locking lug 24, and, for rea-sonshereinafter pointed" out, this convertical plane, that is, the contact face 1S lies in a. plane inclined upwardly toward said vertical plane. Byreason of the lateral displacement of the plate and the inclination of its contact surface, as before sug gested, an important result is obtained which may bedescrlbed asfollowe: I

The pressure or force which is sustained bythe lug 24, by reason of the contactl between the said lug and the plate 18. is .ibviously distributed and directed' along`r a plurality of lines-which are parallel` to each other andV at. right angles to the contact face 18a. A The greater lpressure is ofcoursaex erted atthbase of the lug. Said lug 24. when in contact with the plate 18,-has its -outerlongitudinal edge in contact with the downwardly facingV surface ofthe locking recess 16as'shaisjv1ninFig. 3, and any part to turn the same aiid key in a directiouaway from the plate iresisted by the pcrtionof the gear with w tion to. force thekey toward andfiinto contact .with its seat'. Consequentl'ii, the prespnessiv'e force," which the parts `are readily sure on the lug and key is resisted by anun' of the pressure 'igerted on the lug. tending' V i ch said' lug is ia contact. y y Asa result, one of the. component parts 01;?V l the'forcel exerted on the lug is in la direc.-

yielding para ofthe shaft 5. The key and lug thereby ,resubjectedin parti() 0mm taking up in lpart the pressure exerted on the lug 24 by t is less tendency of thelu being shea'red or broken off b v the` sliock ueito' the sudden 5 contact of the lug with the abutment at the" direction of, ali-rre tangential sto the surface.

of the shaft, vand 'such pressure would, tendV to shear or break olf the'part of the lugwhich projects outside fof the circumference .of4 the shaft, because thedirect pressure of the .shoulder would then be unresistedby' the abutting of thelug .against the gear WheelA or rotative memberand an opposed resisting surface of the shaft. lVhen, however, the lug and shoulder '18 .are arranged and of-the locking shoulder against the shoulder-engaging portion ofthe lug, tends to press the lug in a v` direction toward its key seat, so that the forcegorstrainon .the lug is in part-a compressive one, tending to crush the lug, andlobviating the tendency to shear or break ofeits. part which projects from the shaft and engages-saidlocking 'shoulder on the Wheel. The lug. .madefas described, therefore ,isweapable of Withstanding, Without inju'ry,a pressureA gre-ath.' 'in excess of 'that whichlit -yvould withstand if subjected to a breaking or shearing strain only. This feature :,.Iofueonstruction in the lug is applicable to anyji'oml of clutch hav ing a rocking orfoscillating locking lug and need not be limited .to anendwise slidable key, as herein shown and described. Should the contact face 18a be radially disposed with respect. to the shaft 5, as just' stated, the key would sustain but .a comparatively small partofthe force exerted. The additional inclination of the`contact surface of 4 the lug and plate 'acts to direct vthe force of the Contact to a greater degree away from .the tangential and-toward thel axis of the shaft.

ljor instance, linFig/ I have shown an abutment plate() so arranged that its contact face 61 is in a 'plane at a greater degrec of'inclinationto a vertical plane pass.- ing through theaxes of rotation of the shaft 5 andthe key 22 `than the plane in which the contactface 18aL ofithe abutment plate 18 is en 1oca-ted. Asda pesult of the arrangementv shown said' F1957, the pressure or force which sust d by he lug't, When` -the latter 'is incontact wit the plate 60 is ldistributedE andfdirected along 'plurality of,v *'65 linesparallel toJeach other and at right.

e plate 1'8, .and hencey there f.

made as describedand shown, the priit-:surel angles to the contact faces of such parts, and Zat a ...greater distance away from the. tangential and, nearer the axis of theshaft `5than".gainedywith the arrangement shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. ,7, the dotted line 62 rep.

outer face Kofthe key. Such linetherefore,

villustrates-that a portion of such'force is ftherefore resisted `by a portion of the concave :fac-e, of the key seatwvith which they In the construction thus describedj, and shown in Fig. 7 thevadvan tages :heretofore set out are accelerated, and

key is in contact.

the tendency .to shear off the lug when the 'latter' engages the plate 18 is reduced to the 1..'The combination ofV a shaft provided with a concave key seat, a rotative member mounted on said Shaft and provided with an internal shoulder, and a semi-cylindrical key rockably mounted in Said concave key seat, said key being provided with alug adapted to engage said shoulder, for locking Vsaid rotative member to said shaft, and the contact faces of said lug and shoulderfbeing substantially fiat.

2. The combination of a shaft provided with a concave key seat, a rotativemember mounted on said shaft and provided with an internal shoulder, and a semi-cylindrical rockably mounted in said concave key seatyll ifle said key being provided with a lug adapted to engage said shoulder, for locking said'ro! i "tative member to said shaft the -contact faces of said lug and' shoulder 'beingnsubstantially flat, and the contact facefof' said lell to a plane passing throng theaxes-.of

1 shoulder being,-'\vhen the latter is in contact with said lug, in a plane substantially paraL Thecombination of a' shaft pro'i'ided"` rotative member and .forming .a locking vvwith a key seat, rotative m mberin'ountedion said shaft, an' abutment pla esecuredito sardi' ff shoulder, and akey, rokably mountedA ing said key seat, saidkey being provided 'with a lug adapted toengage said plate, for'locking said rotative member to said shaft,i thefcon-v tact face of .said plate and Said lugbbing subi stantally flat, and the contact face of said as my invention I ax my signature in they plate being, when the latter is in Contact presence of two Witnesses, this 18th day ofy with7said lug, in a plane laterally spaced Apr1'A.D.1914.

from and slightly inclined outwardl toward LEON JAY CAMPBELL. 5 a, lane )assng through the axes o rotation Witnesses:

.o Said )key and said shaft. EUGENE C. WANN,

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing y MAURICE D. HERMAN. 

